The Committee seems to be starting out by giving a little bit to everyone. They are mixing up the rankings so that most teams won't have much to complain about at the end of the year. Alabama is #5 but with the schedule they have left the committee is surely not worried about the Crimson Tide ending up in the playoffs if they continue winning. Thus, give the Big 12 TCU a turn in the rankings. Placing TCU ahead of Baylor is frankly nuts, but again there is a lot of football to be played and it seems the committee is just trying to prove that anything goes. There are no precompetions. Great. It is refreshing to know that teams can leapfrog around based on results. How will things end up? Well, Oregon seems to have a comfortable road. Actually, TCU will likely win out as well. However, Baylor finishes the season against Kansas State. A solid win by Baylor in that one and the W over TCU and Baylor should definitely pass them up. At the end of the season it would be a big shock, and really kind of a stain on the new system if head-to-head didn't matter.

In the SEC West 4 teams are still alive. Believe it or not a 4-way tie of 6-2 teams could happen. That is the scenario that would enable Auburn by tiebreaker to win the SEC West. Ole Miss can still take SEC West if they win out, Auburn loses to Georgia, and Bama beats Miss St. Ohio State has this weeks game at Minnesota and the Big Ten championship game to impressive the voters. They will need Florida State to lose to improve their chances because 3 slots look set: 1 to the SEC for sure, 1 to the Pac-12 very likely between Arizona State and Oregon and 1 to the Big 12.

Below is the schedules with tough/difference maker games highlighted in red and slight challenges in yellow. To the left is our projected final records and then our projected final rankings.